Chapter 150: Ash and White

For me, Happy Meek-senpai was—so to speak—like a fluffy white comforter.

Soft and soothing. Something I loved, something I could entrust myself to and rely on. That’s what I mean.

In truth, if we’re talking purely about length of time, my relationship with Meek-senpai is even longer than the one I have with Ayumu-san. Aside from the relatives who took care of me, it’s the longest relationship I’ve had in this world.

A full three years. Ever since right after I came to Tracen Academy and moved into the Ritto dorm, it’s continued.

As someone with no family to call my own, I don’t have any other bond that has lasted this long—or this deeply.

And with that Meek-senpai, I think we fall pretty solidly into the “close roommates” category.

Meek-senpai is gentle, fluffy, and cute—just watching her is healing.

And yet, when it really matters, she’s reliable. Somehow, she always pampers me with this incredible sense of warmth and acceptance.

In short, she’s basically the ideal senior most of humanity imagines.

So naturally… I grew attached to her.

Because when something fun happens, she listens to me talk about it. When something painful happens, she listens to my complaints. When I’m feeling down, she tells me funny stories about her trainer. And when I want to be alone, she leaves me alone.

There aren’t many people that precious. She’s not just “an understanding girlfriend”—she’s more like an understanding senior. Not a super darling boyfriend, but… what would that even be? A super senior? A super angel? Something like that.

Especially back in my Junior Class days, when I had no mental breathing room and still couldn’t fully trust Ayumu-san as a person… I honestly don’t know how much Meek-senpai’s presence supported me.

In that sense, she’s definitely one of the reasons I was saved.

When someone is truly cornered, they can’t even accept words from others. The fact that I had enough leeway back then to accept Ayumu-san’s words and actions… that was thanks to Meek-senpai.

No—really. I can only be grateful.

Meek-senpai, thank you. Always.

However, thinking about it now, it’s kind of strange—despite spending three whole years together, we never once had a real fight.

Little issues popped up now and then, sure, but every time we talked things through properly and resolved them.

As for why… maybe it’s because of my own peculiar nature, and Meek-senpai’s temperament.

I almost forget it myself sometimes these days, but I am technically a reincarnated person with memories from a previous life. Compared to ordinary middle schoolers, I should be a bit more mentally mature… in theory.

Well, okay—I’m worse at suppressing my emotions than I used to be. I’m aware I’ve gotten a bit too romance-brained, and I know I haven’t fully restrained my Uma Musume instincts…

Even so, if something just irritates me a little, I can still hold back my anger or acknowledge the other person.

And Meek-senpai too—well, as you’d expect from a third-year in the senior division—she’s incomparably more composed than the middle schoolers.

I think a lot of that comes from her personality, but depending on the setting, she could easily be the mysterious big-sister type surrounded by underclassmen. She keeps just the right emotional distance—comfortable for both of us.

And while we’re at it, there’s another reason: we both absolutely adore our trainers.

I like Ayumu-san both in terms of trust and romantically, and while Meek-senpai doesn’t seem to have romantic feelings—since they’re the same gender—her affection and fondness for her trainer are just as strong as mine.

So we can get all worked up complaining about our trainers’ useless moments together, then sigh and go, “But that’s part of why we can’t just leave them alone, you know?” “…I get it. Completely.”

Because of that, our shared life—living as ourselves while being reasonably considerate of each other—has gone pretty smoothly.

To me, the Uma Musume named Happy Meek has always been someone who heals me deeply while also allowing me to lean on her—a senior who embodies my ideal…

…And at the same time, someone I wanted to face head-on in a true race someday.

Four G1 victories.

It might sound sarcastic coming from me, but that’s an absolutely incredible record.

At this point, it’s fair to say she’s etched her name into history—proof of a genuine champion.

And not just that—she’s conquered every turf distance, from sprint to long-distance. Honestly, even I might not be able to do that.

On top of that, she apparently runs perfectly well on dirt too, even though she hasn’t won there yet. She might take a dirt G1 someday as well.

The name Happy Meek will undoubtedly remain in the history of the Twinkle Series.

An Uma Musume who can win at any distance—or at least has the potential to.

A true competitor who grasps victory regardless of distance.

Of course I’d want to run against someone like that. As a racing Uma Musume, that’s only natural.

If Meek-senpai moves up to the Dream Trophy League, I’m sure there’ll be a flood of girls lamenting, “If only she’d stayed a little longer—we could’ve raced her…!”

Fortunately, I was given the chance to race her.

…But at last year’s Arima Kinen, I couldn’t fully enjoy running against her.

I was desperate in my own way—running for Ayumu-san, running as his Uma Musume.

And Meek-senpai too—according to Ayumu-san—had two major rivals, Seiun Sky and Nice Nature, so she couldn’t produce her absolute best performance either.

We’d said, “Let’s settle this at the Arima Kinen,” but reality isn’t as convenient as fiction. Neither of us managed to win.

In the end, that promise just faded away without resolution.

That’s why… right now…

I’m so happy.

That I get to run with Meek-senpai in this Takarazuka Kinen.

That before I go to France, I can finally settle things—properly—with the senior I’ve spent the longest time with.

"Now then, the Uma Musume are heading into the gates. Looking at them like this, what do you think of the featured runners?"

"The second favorite, gate one, number two—Happy Meek—is calmly gazing up at the sky. As the only one looking upward, perhaps her eyes already see how the race ahead will unfold.

The third favorite, gate three, number six—Yggdra Valley—also appears composed as she approaches the race. One deep breath inside the gate… will this finally be her G1 title?

And… the top favorite, gate eight, number sixteen—Hoshino Wilm—wearing her usual fearless smile. Expectations are high for the new legend she may weave."

Under a cloudless sky, at Hanshin Racecourse.

Even here at the gate, we can hear the announcer and commentary.

Once the race starts, the pounding footsteps and extreme focus drown everything out, but right before it begins, you can hear things normally like this.

There’s some distance, but our ears are special—whether that’s good or bad, we pick up sound pretty easily.

Some girls hate it because hearing unnecessary things before a race can break their concentration, but I don’t really mind.

I’m not as easily distracted as others say, and more importantly—it’s fun to listen.

The witty phrasing that builds up the race atmosphere is something we racing Uma Musume appreciate too…

And besides, I tend to be drawn to cool things for a girl, so when they start talking about dragons or mythology, my excitement goes up. Hehe.

…Anyway.

Time to think about the race.

Our team’s Uma Musume basically run according to the plans Ayumu-san builds.

But from talking with Nature and Teio, apparently not every team works that way.

In Teio’s case, her own racing instincts are so absurdly good that if her trainer makes a strategy, it actually holds her back…

And with Nature, since it’s her specialty, she apparently takes the lead in creating the strategy herself.

Well, trainers are elites in their field, so they understand racing well…

But that doesn’t mean they understand everything.

I think Ayumu-san is an extremely perceptive trainer, but even then there are moments where it’s like, “Yeah… you probably can’t grasp this without actually running.”

Running has a lot more sensory elements than theory, and Uma Musume racing especially involves things like domains and souls—almost fantasy-like concepts.

To put it bluntly, there’s a limit to what can be understood through desk theory alone.

Still, I follow Ayumu-san’s plans because the race plans he creates are insanely complete.

His analysis and observation of rival runners, and the race development predictions based on them, aren’t always perfect—but they’re accurate at an astonishing rate.

Apparently, even compared to other trainers, that’s exceptional.

Even Teio’s current trainer, a highly experienced veteran, said that while predicting the behavior of three or four runners is manageable, forecasting the full race development of eighteen Uma Musume is extremely difficult.

He said that while you can guess “this girl might move like this,” predicting the pack dynamics that emerge when they combine and create chemical reactions is nearly impossible.

Ayumu-san is really amazing.

As expected of my trainer. Heh.

And that sharp observational ability is directed toward us—his trainees—too.

He understands specs I can’t even fully measure myself, and builds the optimal race plan based on them. For someone like me, who isn’t especially good at constructing races on my own, his planning is an invaluable support.

Of course, he built a plan for today’s Takarazuka Kinen as well…

…But this time, how effective will it be?

Ayumu-san told me about Meek-senpai’s uniqueness.

And that it likely depends on her Domain.

Meek-senpai’s Domain.

The first activation condition: sunny weather.

The second condition: only speculation—no confirmed data.

Today’s weather is perfectly clear Japanese sunshine, so we can assume the first condition is met.

And the effect is… unbelievably… “control over the entire race.”

Even Ayumu-san wasn’t fully convinced—more like, “I think that’s probably right, but the details are unknown. Just keep in mind that your movements might be manipulated.”

But honestly, that’s possible.

After all, Domains affecting your body and moving it on their own is something that apparently happens in reality.

Teio once did a mock race with Symboli Rudolf-senpai back in her Classic Class days, and she said she was forced off the rail by Rudolf’s Domain.

At the time—before she had awakened her own Domain—it felt like “the overwhelming pressure made me yield the path,” but… there’s no way that’s all it was. Teio may not look it, but she’s got a pretty strong heart.

A Domain that interferes with others.

A Domain that governs their actions.

This… definitely exists.

And if Ayumu-san has read it that way, then there’s a high probability that Meek-senpai possesses it.

"…………"

While gazing at the turf, I let my thoughts wander.

A Domain that manipulates an opponent’s actions.

Or perhaps… a Domain that rules over the race itself.

What kind of mental state—what kind of inner landscape—could produce something like that?

I don’t actually know that much about Meek-senpai.

Of course, since we share a room, it’s not like I know her less than everyone else… but she isn’t someone who talks a lot, nor the type to speak about herself.

And with that senpai, I’ve never yet crossed emotions through a life-and-death battle where our hearts were laid bare.

That’s why I didn’t understand. And why I wanted to know.

What kind of scenery the senior who had taken care of me was living within.

And what kind of run the veteran who still proudly reigned as the strongest active racer would show.

Fortunately, starting now, I should be able to learn about the Uma Musume named Happy Meek.

When we exchanged words earlier on the main track, there was a flickering heat deep within Meek-senpai’s eyes.

And that heat told me—more eloquently than words or actions ever could—

I will defeat you.

The same eyes Teio had during the Derby, Nature during the Kikuka Sho, McQueen-senpai during the Japan Cup, and Spe-senpai during the Arima Kinen.

The eyes of a challenger—and at the same time, the eyes of the strong.

Quiet, yet blazing—eyes that had completely tamed the boiling, rampaging instincts of a racing Uma Musume.

I’ve never seen a weak Uma Musume with those eyes.

Surely, during this race, Meek-senpai will fully open her Domain.

If Ayumu-san’s prediction is correct, my actions will be interfered with—controlled.

What kind of result that will produce… I still don’t know yet.

But one thing is certain.

"…Cold."

This will be the kind of run—the kind of race—that deserves my absolute, all-out best.

The greatest possible race.

"Now then, the gate loading is complete. The runners are ready."

While waiting for the gates to open, I glanced over—and met eyes with Ayumu-san.

Right before a race, words aren’t necessary between an Uma Musume and her trainer.

We exchanged our hearts through a single look, and I said one thing.

"I’m off."

I gathered every ounce of strength into my legs—

"…And they’re off!"

The instant the gates opened, I unleashed it.

Naturally, the fastest start. The fastest acceleration.

There are two other frontrunning specialists in this race besides me, but even so, I’m still one head ahead—faster.

One step. Two steps. Three steps.

I slammed every bit of power I possessed into the turf and accelerated.

…Good. No problems. The start was successful.

"The start was slightly uneven—Wiseman Raise may have missed the timing a little.

And now taking the lead is Hoshino Wilm! Just as expected, chasing the dream of back-to-back victories, Hoshino Wilm moves to the front!

Following is Mejiro Palmer, then from the outside Elegant General pushing forward into the lead group! And between the two runners from gate eight is Daitaku Helios, with Yggdra Valley tracking right behind!"

This race has three runaway-style frontrunners.

One is Daitaku Helios-senpai, who’s produced results mainly at the mile distance.

The other is Mejiro Palmer-senpai, who only recently established her escape strategy.

Just like in the Arima Kinen, the natural enemy of a frontrunner is another frontrunner.

Just as Suzuka-senpai’s loss was caused by Twin Turbo and Hoshino Wilm, Hoshino Wilm’s losses were caused by Twin Turbo and Silence Suzuka.

Those of us who aim to lead more than anyone end up overheating each other in the battle for the front, wasting stamina against one another.

…But this time—and for me specifically—it won’t be a problem.

After all, I have more than enough stamina to run 2200 meters.

"They’ve entered the first corner and the pack has formed nicely, but the field has split cleanly into a leading group and a trailing group.

Do you chase the three frontrunners’ dead heat, or protect your own pace? A difficult race of choices."

"…………"

I check each runner’s position.

Two lengths behind, slightly to the outside, come somewhat rough footfalls.

That’s Mejiro Palmer-senpai—the same as I confirmed in the Tennō Sho.

Behind her is Daitaku Helios-senpai—those are the footsteps I heard at last year’s Arima Kinen.

Then Elegant General-senpai follows…

The footsteps running alongside them carry a slight sense of strain—I haven’t heard those before.

And the footsteps behind that are too jumbled to distinguish.

I only heard Meek-senpai’s footsteps for a moment at the start, but she immediately slipped into the pack.

At the very least she’s sixth or further back—maybe she’s aiming for a late charge instead of running forward.

Or… is she positioning herself just barely outside my awareness range, avoiding being detected?

…No, that’s unlikely.

Only I know the limits of my hearing range.

How much distance is needed, how deep into the pack someone must be to escape my perception… there’s no way anyone else could know that.

…Well, I’ll set that aside for now.

Right now, my focus is my own running, not others’.

The early-race plan Ayumu-san built this time is to avoid opening too large a gap and conserve strength for the second half.

That said, I still need to extend the lead somewhat—aside from Mejiro Palmer-senpai and Daitaku Helios-senpai, I’ll pull ahead by seven or eight lengths…

But I won’t widen it to the ten-length threshold that marks my hearing limit against the leading pack.

I need to stay close enough to hear when Meek-senpai makes her move, or she might launch a surprise attack.

Because the worst possible scenario this time is having her suddenly open her Domain—stealing control of my body and leaving me unable to run properly.

"Carrying the dreams of the massive crowd, they run into the second corner! Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen may be absent, but still—this girl, Hoshino Wilm, makes the Takarazuka Kinen exciting!

Still in front is number sixteen, Hoshino Wilm! About three lengths behind in second is number twelve, Mejiro Palmer, with number three Daitaku Helios on the outside! Up to this point, perhaps an average pace?"

The race was progressing smoothly… or so it seemed.

I had pulled away from the others and was firmly in the lead.

I was properly fired up while staying composed, my positioning and course selection weren’t bad, and maintaining this through the third corner should have been the optimal play.

But…

“…?”

As the race continued, a faint sense of discomfort slowly began to grow.

Something feels… off.

Isn’t this… slow?

We’re already halfway through the second corner—by now we should have passed at least 800 meters.

That means nearly one-third of the entire race distance is already over.

…And yet, the strain on my legs and lungs feels lighter than expected.

I don’t have an internal clock as precise as Bourbon-chan’s, so I can only judge the current pace by feel…

But even so, for a race where three runaway frontrunners are fighting for the lead, the level of fatigue feels far too low.

No… no, that’s not it. That’s not the real issue.

What matters is that something feels misaligned… wrong… a faint but persistent sense of discomfort.

"This is…"

Once I noticed it, the sensation began prickling against my skin.

But I couldn’t logically pinpoint what it was—or what exactly was wrong.

It felt familiar somehow, like I’d encountered it before… but I couldn’t recall where.

Yes, the race pace does feel slow.

But that happens sometimes.

Depending on how the pack unfolds, each runner’s condition, the course, or track conditions, the tempo can naturally drop.

So that’s not it.

At its core, the problem isn’t that the race itself is slow.

The problem is why it became slow in a race that has three runaway frontrunners…

And more than anything, this faint sense of wrongness that keeps increasing—little by little—the more I run.

"Entering the backstretch, the leader remains Hoshino Wilm! In second is Mejiro Palmer, third is Daitaku Helios—the order unchanged so far!

After a small gap comes number two Ribbon Gabbot, with the second favorite Happy Meek moving slightly forward! Elegant General in the pink silks follows, and the third favorite, number six Yggdra Valley, is right there! Will she finally claim her long-awaited G1 victory!?"

A few seconds after entering the backstretch, I begin to hear Meek-senpai’s footsteps.

So she’s moved up her position here.

Just like Ayumu-san predicted.

"If the conditions for Happy Meek to show her best run are in place, she’ll make her move like that," he had said…

…?

No—wait. Something’s wrong.

Wrong? What’s wrong? No, wait—what was I just thinking? What did I get stuck on?

Damn it… my head isn’t working right. What’s wrong with me?

If the conditions for Meek-senpai’s best performance are met—in other words, the conditions to deploy her Domain—then she’ll run exactly as Ayumu-san predicted, with optimal precision.

That Domain is what sharpens her performance.

But something’s off.

Whether her Domain can open or not should still be unknown.

Because if the conditions were met, it would already have opened—and Meek-senpai hasn’t opened her Domain yet…

…

…It’s already open?

A shiver crawls up from the pit of my chest.

Then comes confusion, disorientation, impatience—and anger at my own incompetence.

Why didn’t I notice?

There were plenty of signs.

My thoughts not working properly.

The unnaturally slowed pace.

And above all… the faint pressure coming from behind.

Had I unconsciously denied it, thinking it couldn’t possibly be true?

Even though I should know better than anyone that common sense doesn’t apply to this…

…Or has even my thinking been manipulated?

"I’ve been had."

By the time I realized, it was already too late.

Around me… everything was already wrapped in that atmosphere unique to a Domain.

From what I’ve seen, Domains usually bring dramatic changes.

In your vision, a unique landscape overlays the racetrack. The presence of the Uma Musume who opened it swells explosively, and her abilities leap upward to an almost unbelievable degree.

At the very least—Teio, Ryan-senpai, McQueen-senpai, Sky-senpai, Nature, Spe-senpai… and even me, a reincarnation cheat-level Uma Musume—we were all like that.

That’s probably what a typical Domain looks like in this world.

But precisely because of that…

Because I had that fixed expectation, I might not have noticed.

The scenery in front of me hasn’t changed.

It’s just the turf of Hanshin Racecourse—the same track where I ran the Osaka Hai not long ago.

Meek-senpai’s pressure and ability haven’t visibly surged either.

If anything, the pressure has only grown slightly stronger—but still within the range you could attribute to the natural aura of an elite racer.

And yet, the presence of her Domain had already seeped into the surroundings without me realizing it—like a slow-acting poison.

…Meek-senpai is a strange Uma Musume.

She was an elusive runner—capable at every distance and on every type of track surface, already a four-time G1 winner, and yet sometimes producing runs so poor you could call them complete flops even at the G2 level.

I didn’t dislike her psychological makeup at all, but I had to admit it was a little… off from the ordinary.

If that was the case…

Then perhaps the Domain said to reflect an Uma Musume’s heart was also something unusual in her case.

It wasn’t something that bloomed in an instant, exploded with results, and then immediately closed.

Rather, it was a Domain that slowly opened—so gradually no one would notice—while shaping the ideal unfolding, the ideal world, for herself…?

The moment I realized that, it felt like countless elements in my mind suddenly connected.

The story that she had never once won a graded race until entering the senior class.

The fact that she was a rare late-bloomer type whose stats kept growing even after her peak was supposedly over.

What Ayumu-san had told me—the conflicting images of ideal and reality that supposedly existed within Meek-senpai.

The powerful yearning I could sense from the faint presence of this Domain.

And those challenging eyes she had once turned toward me.

…Ah. I see. I think I understand now.

Her Domain and mine might seem completely different, but in a way, they’re kindred.

This… yeah.

Now I really can’t afford to lose.

Maybe it was the Domain’s influence—my head wouldn’t turn properly, and my legs felt like they were being tangled in heavy mist… no, clouds—making them hard to move.

Probably every Uma Musume running this race… everyone except Meek-senpai… was being affected the same way.

And if my assumption was correct, this effect would only grow stronger as the race went on.

…As expected from someone still counted among the ranks of the “strongest active.”

Even placed beside Teio or McQueen-senpai, she wouldn’t be inferior in the slightest.

If anything, when it came to Domains alone, she might be a head—no, two heads—above them.

Honestly, the fact that she isn’t rated that highly by the public just proves how warped the world is.

I mean, right now my spine is trembling with both fear and exhilaration.

…But even so.

I’ll win.

I’ll show that I can win.

That’s the figure so many people expect from Hoshino Wilm, and the hope Ayumu-san places in me…

And surely, it’s also the ideal Meek-senpai expects from me.

Without realizing it, the corner of my mouth twisted as I murmured inwardly.

Yes, I’ll admit—you got the better of me there…

…but the real match starts now, Senpai.